Electrical technologies drive 640 percent growth in Philippine portfolio
18 May 2026
Michael Adrian Gabriel | a patent executive manager @ Spruson & Ferguson, Manila
Electrical technologies have emerged as a major growth driver, accounting for 230 cases or 36 percent of the portfolio. The figure marks a sharp increase from just 31 cases recorded in fiscal year 2022, reflecting a growth of more than 640 percent over the past few years.
The surge in electrical and digital-related work mirrors the broader transformation of the Philippine innovation landscape. Industry data shows that digital communication patents nearly doubled their share to 13.6 percent by 2025, signalling rising demand for intellectual property protection in rapidly evolving technology sectors.
“We opine that the Covid pandemic accelerated the digitalization process of private companies and the government,” said Michael Adrian Gabriel, a patent executive manager at Spruson & Ferguson in Manila. “It also induced a widespread adoption of digital services among a largely tech-savvy and smartphone-centric public. With these services here to stay, our electrical or digital clients are now seeing the value in protecting their IP in the growing Philippine market.”
He added: “This signifies increased confidence of our electrical/digital clients in the increasingly digitalized Philippine market. Steady improvements in our digital infrastructure and increasing adoption of smartphones and mobile internet have created a demand for digital services. For example, the share of digital payments increased from only 1 percent in 2013 to 53 percent 10 years later. It’s also worth noting that it’s our clients’ IP that makes these digital services possible.”
The rollout of 5G over the last few years, he noted, is likely a contributing factor to the rise in digital communication patents. “Philippines telcos have partnered with multinational digital communications firms in modernizing their infrastructure and providing faster and greater coverage from the metropolises to more rural areas. While only 3 percent of mobile connections utilized 5G technology in 2023, numerous publications expect this figure to rise to 50 percent by 2030. With the passage of the Konektadong Pinoy Act, opening up the telco industry and establishing regular connectivity standards, we expect telecommunications companies to invest in our country’s digital infrastructure and the IP surrounding it. The widened connectivity may also push companies to protect their IP in allied fields such as IoT and multimedia,” he said.
- Excel V. Dyquiangco
